PETA has dismissed comments made about the use of Tanooki suits in Super Mario 3D Land as tongue-in-cheek.

The animal rights organisation recently said the Nintendo mascot's use of a Tanooki suit sends a wrong message about wearing animal fur.

PETA also created a flash game on its website, where players control a skinless tanuki that chases a flying Mario through a stage.

According to the International Business Times, PETA emailed a number of gaming sites explaining that recent comments relating to Mario were tongue-in-cheek.

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"Mario fans: Relax! PETA's game was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, a fun way to call attention to a serious issue, that raccoon dogs are skinned alive for their fur," Shakira Croce, PETA's media co-ordinator said.

"We wish real-life tanukis could fly or swat enemies away with their tails and escape from those who profit from their skins. You can help them by never buying real fur."